Pill-machine



2 Sheets-Sheet- 1.

(No Model.)

A. P. WARD.

PILL MACHINE.

No. 311,620. Patented Feb. 8, 18851 "Fl Fl 1 we I 2 Sheets-Sheeh 2 (No-Model.)

A; P WARD.

PILL MACHINE.

Patented Feb. 3, 1885.

[nu amid?" flzemaimzgri Ward NHFD Starts ALEXANDER F. WARD, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

PILL-"viAOHlNE.

SPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 311,620, dated February 3, 1885.

App ication filed May 15, 1884. (N0 model.)

by means of which the mass from which the pills are made, having been first put into the form of a pencil or pipe by the ordinary pro cess, is rolled into pills by a peculiar motion given to apart of the mecl'ianism, by means of which the pills in passing through are rolled with a change of axis, whereby they are spherical in form when completed; or, in other words, the motion by which the axis is changed has a near resemblance to the motion of the two hands in rolling an irregularlyshuped i mass into a ball.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved machine, showing the rotating wheel and concave in their relative positions when in operation. Fig. 2 is a like view with the rotating wheel and concave removed. Fig. 3 is a side elevation. Fig. t is a horizontal vertical sec tion on the line as x in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal vertical section on the line y y in Fig. 2. Fig. (5 is a detached perspective of the concave. Fig. 7 is a diagram show ing the manner in which the axis of the pills is changed in the grooves or corrugations of the rotating wheel and concave, whereby a spherical shape is given to such pill.

In the aceon'ipanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, A forms a bed and standard, which supports the working parts.

B is a yoke or bail, in the two ends of which isjournaled a corrugated wheel, (J, and this bail at or near its rear end isjournaied at D to the supporting-standard in such manner that when in operation the corrugated wheel is in the position shown in Figs. 1, S, and 5, and. when not in operation is thrown backward, as shown in Fig. 4, the bail rotating upon its trunnions or bearings to allow this to be done for case in cleaning the wheel and other parts when required. Motion is given to this corrugated wheel by means of a pinion, E, belt F, wheel G, and carried upon one of the trunnions D, which trunnion also earries the tooth-pinion H, which engages with the gearwvheel l, rigidly secured to the shaft which carries the corrugated wheel. The open ends of the yoke B are provided with ears B, which, when the wheel is in the position shown in Fig. 1, rest upon the top of the standard portion of the frame A, and each of these cars is provided with a setscrew, a, by means of which this end of the yoke carrying the corrugated wheel or roller may be elevated or depressed, as the size of the pills being made may require.

J is a yoke the free ends of which areloosely journaled upon shortshafts I), projecting outwardly from ei "her side of the standard portion of the frame, rnd so constructed and journaled that said yoke may have a lateral. motion upon its bearings. This yoke carries a corrugated concave, K, so arranged and secured by set-screws c that its corrugations are made coincident to the corrugations of the re tating wheel t).

A shaft, L, is suitably journaled across the with a crank, M, upon which is sleeved a box, N, which, when the parts are in place, has a reciprocating motion between the jaws O, which project from the rear face of the concave K, as very clearly shown in Fig. Up on this shaft there is also an eccentric, P, which is partially embraced by a yoke, Q, such yoke consisting of two arms projecting from the rock-shaft B, one of such arms embracing the upper and the other the lower portion of such eccentric, while the rock-shaft R is journ'aled longitudinally, as shown in 2 and 4, by means of screw-points-S, which pass through lugs l.,.cast upon thebed and center, and support the rock'shaft. Secured upon the upper side of this rock-shaft is a lug, U, the free end of which engages between two lugs, \V, also cast upon or secured to the rear face of the concave. This lug U may be cast with the roclrshaft or made sepa- 1 rate from it and secured to it in any known way,

front of the bed, and this shaft is provided although, preferably, I tap it into such rockshaft, as shown in Fig. 4.

A pulley is secured upon the shaft L, and a belt running to any convenient source of power gives motion to the various working parts of the device.

In practice the mass from which the pills are to be made is rolled into pencils or pipe in the ordinary manner, and cut off at a suitable length to correspond to the width of the corrugated wheel and concave.- These pencils are fed by the operator into the flaring part or mouth of the concave. The rotation of the shaft L through the box N gives a vertical vibrating and partially-rotating motion to the concave, so that the mass, under the operation of such motion, with the rotation of the corrugated wheel, is cut into sections, one for each of the corrugations, the whole being adjusted for the size of pills required to be made. Now, if this were all, the pills would not be round, but oblong with rounded ends, their axis being coincident to the axis of the rotating wheel but by means of the eccentric P upon the shaft L and its connections, as described, a lateral motion is given to the, yoke carrying the concave, by

means of which each separate mass of material is compelled to change its axis at each rotation of the shaft completely at right angles to the axis it had before the rotation commenced, and this is continued with each succeeding pencil fed to the machine, and the result is perfectly-formed spherical pills, my object in this construction being to perform the operation in very much the same manner that it would be performed by human hands rolling an irregular mass into a ball.

The axis of the corrugated wheel or roll when the device .is in operation is coincident with that of the journal-bearings of the yoke which carries the concave. The oscillating and vibratory motion, as well as the lateral motion of such concave obtained by its connections with the main driving-shaft, should be about fifteen to eighteen of such motions to one revolution of the roll, or somewhat in this proportion, depending upon the size of such roll to a certain extent, and the difference, as such roll is driven from such main drivingshaft, is obtained by the intervening gear.

As shown in Fig. 7, the corrugations of the concave and the roll are coincident when in their normal position, and the chamber thus formed between each pair of these corrugations is not perfectly round, as the axis, laterally, is longer than the vertical axis, giving such chambers more the form of a somewhat flattened circle. This form is necessary, so that in the lateral vibrations of the concave it will change the axis of the sections of the mass under treatment with every successive vibration, and as shown in Fig. 7.

What I claim as 'my invention is 1. In a pill-machine, the combination of a corrugated wheel or roll rotated with a contiuuous feed with a corrugated concave having an oscillating and laterally-vibrating motion upon an axis coincident with that of the roll, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In a pill-machine, a corrugated wheel or roll journaled in a yoke which in turn is journaled to the main frame, substantially as specified.

' 3. In a pill-machine, a concave having an oscillating and laterally-vibrating motion, and forming a hopper to receive the mass in pencil form to be operated, in combination with a corrugated wheel or roll, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a pill machine, a yoke one end of which is journaled to the frame and having a corrugated wheel or roll journaled between its free ends which is rotated by suitable connections with a main driving-shaft and adapted to be thrown back into the position shown in Fig. 8, as and for the purposes described.

5. In a pill-machine, and as ameans forgiving the concave its oscillating motions, and in combination with the main shaft, a crank in said shaft having a box sleeved thereon and engaging with and between parallel jaws projecting from the rear face of said concave, sub stantially as specified.

6. In a pill-machine, and as a means for giving the concave a laterally-vibrating motion, and in combination with the main shaft, an eccentric on said shaft engaging with a pair of parallel arms secured to a rock-shaft, the latter being provided withaspur orlug which engages with a lug or lugs projecting fromthe rear face of said concave, substantially as set forth.

7. In a pill-machine, and in combination with a suitable frame, a main driving-shaft having a crank and an eccentric, each engaging with the concave through the intervening mechanism herein described for the purpose of giving such concave an oscillating andlateral vibrating motion, substantially as described.

8. In a pill-machine, a corrugated concave supported by a yoke having an oscillatingand lateral vibrating motion, and adjusting setscrews, in combination with a corrugated wheel or roll having a continuous rotary motion, substantially as and for the purposes described.

ALEXANDER F. \VARD.

\Vitnesses:

H. S. SPRAGUE, CHARLES J. HUNT.

IIO 

